Best Cold Remedies BEFORE the Cold Sets In!

So I woke up this morning with that congested feeling in my sinuses, a slight soreness in my throat and a splitting headache (like the ones you get when you wake up with a hangover, only I didn't drink anything last night).  As a stay-at-home mother of two little ones, I can't afford a "sick day".  So when you catch even the slightest symptoms of a cold setting in, start treating them immediately to prevent it from worsening over the next few days.
First and foremost, I take one of those zinc lozenges that you can buy at any pharmacy. The ones I use are called "Cold-Eeze", which cost you about $7 for a bag of 18, but you can usually find a generic brand of the same thing for even less. My father has sworn by these for the past 5 years or so and has turned me on to them. Zinc has an antioxidant effect and can help protect the body from infections.  I take one of these about ever 4 hours during the day.  They have somewhat of a metallic taste to them because of the zinc, but they really aren't bad.  Not to mention, they come in a variety of different flavors and only take a few minutes to completely dissolve in your mouth, so it's totally worth it.

Another remedy that I like, which is more of a natural remedy, is hot tea and honey! Just like your grandma used to tell you!  Tea works wonders for me, not to mention I love the taste and the warmth on my throat.  It seems to soothe any itchy or scratchy feeling in my throat immediately.  And according to Jeffrey Blumber, Ph.D., F.A.C.N, Chief of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at the Jean Mayber USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, studies reveal that the antioxidants in tea may also inhibit the growth of cancer cells and suppor cardiovascular health as well (www.teausa.org).  

While there are so many different teas to choose from, my personal favorite is the TAZO-Calm, which has a "comforting blend of chamomile, rose petals and other soothing herbs".  It actually has a slight apple taste to it  and comes in both caffeinated and non-caffeinated.  Just stir in a teaspoon of honey and ta-da!!  Instant cold remedy and delicious, hot tea!

My next suggestion is lots of VITAMIN C!  While I like to take a daily vitamin, it also can't hurt to take a separate vitamin C daily to not only help you get over your cold quicker, but it can also be used to prevent a cold if taken every day.  If you aren't a fan of swallowing big pills or hate the taste of the chewable vitamins, I'd suggest the Emergen-C packs that you can add to a glass of water.  I like the taste too!  Each packet contains 1,000mg of Vitamin C!  Click here to try Free Samples !

And most importantly, don't forget to HYDRATE!!!  Drink lots of water!!!  Make sure you're getting your 8 glasses a day because this can make a big difference in your health.  Especially if you have a cold, water can help provide you with transporting nutrients throughout your body, while flushing out toxins along the way.  Drinking the daily recommended water can also help with headaches, which are usually caused by an increased amount of toxins in the body.  And if you're like me and find it hard to drink that much water a day, I found these flavored waters by Dasani! They come in raspberry, grape, strawberry and lemon and are made with splenda sweetners so they have 0 calories and 0 carbs and taste great!! 

So these are just a few natural cold remedies that I hope you guys find helpful!!  Feel free to comment and give us your favorite remedies of choice! 

Take care and stay healthy!